For the second straight race, KARAKONTIE’s She Feels Pretty entered the Grade 1 winner’s circle on Thursday with a victory in the American Oaks (G1) at Santa Anita.
Breaking from the gate set on the downhill turf course in the 1 ¼ mile turf race, She Feels Pretty handled the cross to the dirt with no problem before settling into midpack a few lengths behind the leading Vibez as they settled on the main turf course.
She Feels Pretty was keen to run under John Velazquez, who kept her under a firm hold to keep her from catching the leaders. Knowing his mount would respond when asked, She Feels Pretty let the Lael Stables representative loose in midturn and it was only a few strides until she was in front.
Showing why she was the race favorite, She Feels Pretty wasn’t asked for much in the stretch but still easily pulled away to a 2 ½ length victory.
The Cherie DeVaux trainee crossed over the $1 million mark with this victory, sitting at $1,128,317 with five victories and three other top three finishes in eight starts. She has won three Grade 1s in her career with thirds in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) and Belmont Oaks (G1) as well.
“It’s very special. She is such a special filly,” said DeVaux. “Johnny has done a great job helping us get her to where she is. It has been a team effort for everybody to get her here. It’s really special. She is a filly that as an early two year old she was kind of like an ugly duckling, she just needed to grow into herself, still she won her first time out going five and a half furlongs and now she is up to a mile and a quarter so it has been quite rewarding to watch the process.”
A $240,000 yearling purchase by her racing owner, She Feels Pretty is out of three-time winning More Than Ready daughter Summer Sweet. That mare is a half-sister to stakes winners Summer Breezing and Adirondack Summer and the Grade 1-placed Summer Solo.
This family also includes Group 1 winner Act One and Group 1-placed Gharir and Summer Symphony.
Summer Sweet foaled a filly from OLYMPIAD’s first crop this year.